Local News

Choir's weather-themed world premiere

Exeter Philharmonic Choir is preparing to begin its 2025/26 season with a very special musical first at Exeter Cathedral on Saturday 8 November - performing an ambitious new choral work called The Weather Book, written for the choir by one of the UK’s leading contemporary composers and highlighting Exeter’s unique status as the home of the UK’s Met Office.

The new work for soprano soloist, choir and chamber orchestra, composed by Cecilia McDowall, is a joint commission with a top chamber choir from Sweden. Gustaf Vasa Kammarkör performed the first movement called ‘Celsius Rising’...

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Help needed to keep Exeter blooming

As complaints are increasing about the number of weeds taking over the city because of county council cutbacks, the Echo and the city council would like to invite businesses keen to get involved in the local community to raise teams of volunteers for a giant weed pull day. Britain in Bloom is a national competition and this year four "villages" within the city have entered the competition as a community.

The village communities involved are St David's, St James, Pennsylvania and St Thomas. Exeter City Council are reaching out to the business community to ask if any firms can assist...

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Environment Agency blitz rod licence cheats

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Fri, 07/04/2014 - 12:27pm

Of the anglers checked for a valid licence, 965 were fishing illegally and could face a court appearance and a substantial fine. A recent penalty was more than £800, when an annual licence costs just £27.

May falls within the coarse fishing ‘close season’ – which runs from 15 March to 15 June – when coarse angling is suspended on rivers and a few canals and lakes in order to allow coarse fish to breed.

While some licence cheats were also fishing rivers during the close season, the majority were caught on stillwaters where fishing is still allowed during these months....

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Cash boost for two local music projects

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Fri, 07/04/2014 - 11:41am

John Lewis Exeter has awarded local community music projects Dementia Carers’ Pathways Devon and Exeter Community Radio aka Phonic FM a grant of £1,000 each through its Music Matters scheme.

The John Lewis Partnership’s Music Matters programme supports groups which make an outstanding contribution to their local community through music. The department store and Waitrose shops receive applications from groups which perform any type of music, from choirs and orchestras to bands and ensembles.

The first project to receive funding through the scheme is Dementia Carers’ Pathways...

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Knowle TVG application rejected

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Fri, 07/04/2014 - 11:30am

Devon County Council has formally rejected an application by Knowle Residents’ Association (KRA) to make East Devon District Council’s site at Knowle into a Town and Village Green (TVG).

This paves the way for EDDC to fulfil its commitment to market the site for development and get a price that will help to pay the cost of moving to a modern HQ building.

In his report, the inspector commissioned by Devon County recommended rejection of the KRA’s application. This was based not only on the particulars of the Knowle application but also the relevance of a recent Supreme Court...

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PCC wins Government funds for Devon crime victims

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Fri, 07/04/2014 - 11:15am

Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Hogg has been successful in winning more than £500,000 of Government funding to help support victims of crime in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Mr Hogg has worked with local voluntary organisations to identify the services that best meet the needs of vulnerable victims. Only London, Greater Manchester and West Midlands have received higher grants. “Victim care is a central priority of the Police and Crime Plan for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly,” said Tony Hogg. “Victims of crime must receive the best possible support to cope with what...

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Devon Hotels launches new website

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Fri, 07/04/2014 - 10:55am

Exeter and Heart of Devon Hotels and Restaurants Association is gearing up for unprecedented visitor numbers with two large scale events coming to the region in the near future.

Mike Coombes of Mill End Hotel and Chair of the Association explains: “The next 16 months are going to be very exciting for Exeter and the heart of Devon with the Tour of Britain and Rugby World Cup both seeing stages hosted here, not to mention the introduction of domestic flights to Exeter from London’s City airport. The area is booming and will be on the international map thanks to world class events; it...

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Superfast broadband for more communities

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Fri, 07/04/2014 - 10:40am

Connecting Devon and Somerset have announced that a further 25 communities can now get high-speed fibre broadband as a result of the £94 million programme to bring superfast broadband to rural areas.

The latest locations include Tedburn St Mary, Whitestone, Ashford, Braunton, Burlescombe, Chudleigh, Heanton Punchardon, Horton, Landkey, Mortehoe, North Tawton and Swimbridge.

This takes the total number of communities to 56 in Devon and Somerset that now have access, as the programme continues to roll-out at a pace, bringing new technology and faster speeds.

The...

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PCSO stops rolling car with baby inside

A Devon and Cornwall police community support officer has been praised by a father after he dramatically stopped a car, with a baby girl inside, from rolling down a hill.

PCSO Richard Hill (pictured) was parked nearby when he saw what he thought was an empty convertible rolling backwards down the slipway towards the beach at Trevaunance Cove, St Agnes.

He saw a man frantically trying to stop the Audi A3 from rolling but the car was gathering pace, heading towards a number of pedestrians who would not have had chance to avoid the car.

He quickly drove his marked...

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Celebrated environmentalist supports renewable energy schemes

The celebrated environmentalist Jonathon Porritt has personally invested in plans for six ground-breaking renewable energy schemes in South Devon. The portfolio of hydro and solar power generation projects has been put together by the Totnes Renewable Energy Society (TRESOC). TRESOC is now seeking investment of £1.5million to get the projects up and running, promising investors a healthy 4% return on their money*. Environmentalist and writer Mr Porritt is amongst those who have already invested and become members of TRESOC. There are hundreds of community renewable energy projects in the...

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Consultation proposed for A361/A39

An informal consultation on a series of improvements to the A361 and A39 will be proposed to Devon County councillors next week (Wednesday 9 July).

The Council has been looking at improving the North Devon Link Road’s journey time reliability and connectivity to the M5, following long running concerns over delays and congestion, particularly in the summer months with the increased tourist traffic travelling to Northern Devon. With significant levels of housing and jobs growth planned in North Devon, Torridge and Tiverton over the next 10 to 15 years, improvements to the A361 are...

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